This week we are so pleased to beam out our 30th edition of Kosher KApers. We approach each edition with the same enthusiasm, in fact the same conviction to research,

compile and communicate up-to-the-minute Kashrut news around town and around the country. Each member of the KA Team can attest that the topic of Kashrut, in all its many and varied facets, is undoubtedly, absolutely and completely at the forefront of our minds day in, day out. So on that positive note, let’s begin our Kashrut conversation!

KefChef
A fabulous new kosher caterer is now operating in the heart of the Sydney Jewish community. Viv Blacher, qualified chef and Food Technology teacher, is KefChef – and she couldn’t be more passionate. “My desire was to start a kosher catering business that serviced simchas of 200 people or less, thereby injecting more creativity into our community’s cuisine. I love that I can use my skills to produce delicious pareve, milchig (all Chalav Yisrael) and fleishig delicacies.”

Viv continues, “I operate out of the JLC kitchen and KefChef is proud to donate a percentage of our earnings back to the JLC community. Rabbi Blackman was so supportive to open the door for this possibility and Rabbi Groner was incredibly encouraging throughout this journey to obtaining our Kashrut license.”

KefChef is here to provide the community with an exciting, convenient kosher catering service for the chaggim; Bar and Bat Mitzvah functions, Shabbat dinners and so much more. If kosher consumers are entertaining guests and are time-poor, preferring not to make an entire meal, KefChef is more than happy to assist with any course. The impressive menu includes generous salads such as crunchy Asian broccoli and cauliflower salad or beetroot and chickpea salad. Kef Chef offers a wide selection of cold platters including apricot curry fish rissoles or hot milchig choices – perhaps a mosaic onion tart or a pumpkin quiche.

Many fleishig options are on the menu and include marinated chicken in an orange/mushroom sauce and a mince lasagne. Vegetarian options abound such as a pecan and sweet potato bake or a butternut pie. Pareve desserts feature a rich chocolate mousse or sticky date pudding in caramel sauce. If you prefer a milchig dessert, a Pavlova filled with cream and summer fruit or lemon meringue ice cream may be the pièce de résistance at your Shabbat or Yom Tov table (see image below).

To obtain a copy of the KefChef menu or to place an order, please contact Viv Blacher on 0401 565 225 or email:
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Price Warehouse
Located at 251 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, Price Warehouse is a large discount outlet that stocks dozens of interesting kosher products from around the world (see images below). Manager Steve Kakwani explains, “We opened recently with the concept of purchasing products in bulk and offering our customers here in the Eastern Suburbs cheaper prices. We weren’t aware that such a vast number of our products were kosher and therefore accessible to the Jewish community – it was a very pleasant surprise.”

There is truly something kosher for everyone here - from the savoury to the sweet. Here is a snapshot: five varieties of Lay’s Stax Chips , Pringles (including rare flavours such as ‘Ranch’ – -D); Hunt’s Honey Mustard Barbeque Sauce , and Kraft Original Slow-Simmered Barbeque Sauce . If you are a sweet tooth, the M&M Bite Size Cookies are really popular -D, as is the vast array of choice when it comes to American chocolate bars including: Nestle ‘100 Grand’ and ‘Butterfinger Crisp’; Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds; Air Delight – Aerated Milk Chocolate, and White Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups - just for starters … In addition, they stock several varieties of Tootsie Roll candies -D, ‘Dots’ – assorted fruit-flavoured gumdrops and literally dozens more. Nestlé Original Coffee-mate non-dairy creamer is also sold as is Kikkoman’s Pearl Organic Soymilk in Chocolate and Creamy Vanilla.

Price Warehouse’s extensive range of kosher thirst quenchers includes: Glaceau Vitamin Water in seven flavours: Fruit Punch; Tropical Citrus; Acai-Blueberry-Pomegranate; Orange; Lemonade; Grape-Raspberry, and Dragon fruit. Also with an OU stamp, Gatorade ‘Perform’ is available in five flavours: Cool Blue; Frost Riptide Rush; Fruit Punch; Lemon Lime, and Orange. A range of Arizona iced tea drinks are kosher including: Pina Colada -D; Black Tea with Ginseng & Honey ; Diet Green Tea with Ginseng, and Raspberry, as is a range of Snapple. There is even a range of Omega-3 Water with Vitamin B, Vitamin D and Calcium in refreshing flavours. And there are so many more! For example, Muscle Milk, a protein nutrition shake comes in three flavours: Chocolate; Banana Crème, and Vanilla Crème -D. These drinks are a blend of protein, healthy fats, good carbohydrates and 20 vitamins and minerals to provide sustained energy and foster lean muscle growth.

“We have an ever-expanding range of kosher products – we love servicing the Jewish community – they are good people,” Steve continues. Price Warehouse is open daily from 8am to 9pm and on Sundays from 9am to 9pm.

Kettle Chips
The KA is delighted that Kettle Chips in the Original Sea Salt flavour are now Certified Mehadrin and Pareve. Also it’s just fabulous that four flavours of vegetable chips by Nature’s Earth are available to kosher consumers - Beetroot; Sweet Potato; Parsnip, and Mixed Vegetables (available in supermarkets and health food stores). These are all manufactured at the Blacktown factory in New South Wales. You have asked us about the Kashrut status of current stock of Kettle Chips found across Australia. The KA is happy to advise that current packets of Sea Salt Kettle Chips purchased with a Best-Before-Date of May 12, 2012 or before are kosher approved and any packets produced after will be kosher certified. We are delighted to help make keeping kosher easier and even more accessible than ever before.

Stay-tuned for our next edition of Kosher KApers – we are going to get festive with the joyous celebration of Purim just around the corner.